Cyclist inches away from being hit by lorry

Experienced cyclist Simon Young is urging motorists to be patient and give cyclists more room after he was left shaken following a close call when a lorry overtook him despite a vehicle approaching in the other direction.

The 48-year-old from Hutton Cranswick was cycling between Bainton and Lund on the B1248 on Tuesday 21st February when a HGV overtook him with far less than a metre’s passing distance.

Footage from Simon’s helmet camera shows just how close the lorry was from Simon who was cycling close to the edge of the road.

However, it wasn’t until viewing the images from the camera later that he realised just how close a call he had and now he is urging other motorists to be aware of the dangers of driving too close to cyclists.

He told the Wolds Weekly: “I was cycling along the road between Bainton and Lund. I had only been on the road for about five minutes and then I was due to turn off at Lund.

“There was a vehicle coming towards me and I could hear that there was something coming up behind me.

“I think he thought he could get past me, but then there was another car coming and he didn’t have as much time as he thought.

“He was way too close to me, it must have been only a foot or a foot-and-half away, and when a vehicle passes that close, especially a lorry, it is the drag it gives you as it drives past which is a real problem.”

Simon was wearing a helmet camera, which he was given for Christmas after he experienced a couple of incidents last year where motorists pulled alongside him and shouted abuse.

He has reported the incident to the police and sent footage captured by his cameras to them.

He said he hopes the driver of the lorry will realise how dangerous his actions were and be more careful when passing cyclists in the future.

“I knew it was close but it is only when you see the footage that you realise just how close it was,” added Simon.

“I hope the driver realises just how dangerous this was and that waiting just 30 seconds to get to his destination is better than causing an horrific accident.

“I am a competent cyclist and in the summer I will go out on my bike two to three times a week.

“You do get good drivers who wait behind you and give you a wide berth, but there are some who can’t wait and my message would be please be patient and give cyclists more room.

“I ride for pleasure, but that took the enjoyment out of riding for me on that day and I cut my ride short.

“It could have ended very differently that day.”

Changes made to the Highway Code in January 2022 state that motorists should leave at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.

A Humberside Police spokesperson said: “Our dedicated Roads Policing Unit reviews submitted footage to determine the appropriate actions and outcomes.

“We understand concerns in relation to road-related offences and would always encourage people to continue to report a road traffic incident to us by calling 101 or visiting our website:

https://www.humberside.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-beta-2.1/report-a-road-traffic-incident/

“We also work in partnership with Safer Roads Humber to educate road users and ensure the roads can be as safe as possible for everyone. Details about this can be found on their website here: https://www.saferroadshumber.com/road-users/”